Metallic thermoplastic material



Patented Feb. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METALLIC THERMOPLASTIC'MQTERI'AL Robert Sherman,v New York, N. Y.

'NoaDrawing... Application. June 19', 1947',

Serial No. 755,741-

Theproducts of the invention, accordingly may readilybe formed by simple treatment processes for plastics to then form easily for flow into desired shapes and structures. The products of the invention may readily be used as both metals and plastics for structural or ornamental purposes or for purposes which are both structural and ornamental.

Being cheaper to handle and fabricate than the metals, the new products have many and obvious advantages over these materials and having some of the temperature resistance and flame resistance of the metals, the new products have many advantages over the hithertofore known plastic materials. Compared with both or either of their predecessor materials they lend a greatly improved as well as a very attractive appearance and increased ornamental and structural value which will greatly satisfy the user wherever the products of the invention are used for any of the many and widely varied uses for which these products can be highly recommended.

In addition to the above advantages, the product and methods of the invention are relatively inexpensive. They may be practiced using relatively inexpensive raw materials, relatively unskilled labor and cheap and economical standard machines which are readily available and need but little adaptation to conform them to the new processes and products.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In accordance with a preferred form of the invention a new and novel plastic product of the thermoplastic Variety is formed by incorporating a critical percentage of finely and evenly divided metal powder into the structure of a plastic product, distributing the metallic particles evenly and without agglomeration throughout. It has been found that metal-like appearance cannot be provided in a plastic unless at least ten percent of its 3 Claims (01. 1.06-193) 21 weight is comprised of the finely divided metallic powder. On the other hand, the use of more than twenty percent by Weight of. the metallic powder.

results in a thoroughly weakened product which has lost nearly all advantageous plastic properties without gaining enough of the" properties of. the

metal to compensate for this loss.

Thev results. of this invention are plastic. productsv of good metal-like appearance having some increased strength properties, increasedl flame. re-- sistance; yet great ductility at. low temperatures. Significant electrical resistance and good thermal insulation value are alsov obtained with all thermoplastic base: materialsv where: the: metallic: powder is finely and uniformly divided and. presentin amounts between eight and twenty percent of the total weight.

While as has been mentioned above, all thermoplastic materials may be used as the plastic base of the combination, best results are obtained where cellulose acetate or one of the similar products is used. Thus cellulose acetate crotonate, cellulose acetate butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate stearate, and cellulose acetate nitrate will serve to full satisfaction. The metal powders may be any of a wide variety of materials but among the preferred ones will be found gold, silver, copper, and aluminum.

Merely in order to illustrate the preferred forms of the invention and in no way to limits its scope, several preferred examples of compositions in accordance with the invention follow:

Example I Percent by weight Cellulose acetate butyrate Copper powder 10 Example II Percent by weight Cellulose acetate butyrate propionate 87 Copper powder 5 Silver powder 8 3 Example III Percent by weight Cellulose acetate 85 Copper powder 9 Gold powder 4 Silver powder 2 frames, furniture covering, cigarette cases, compacts, earrings, watch bands, lamp shades, etc.

While I have described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise examples herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope or" the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I' claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

l. A thermoplastic material having the appearance and some of the properties of metal, consisting of 90 per cent by weight of cellulose acetate butyrate having dispersed therein 10 per cent by weight of finely divided metallic powder.

butyrate having dispersed therein 10 per cent by Weight of finely divided metallic powder, said powder being copper.

3. A thermoplastic material having the appearance and some of the properties of metal, consisting of per cent by weight of cellulose acetate butyrate having uniformly dispersed therein 10 per cent by weight of finely divided copper.

ROBERT SHERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,031,616 Benrath July 2, 1912 1,201,758 Potter Oct. 17, 1916 1,521,055 Tesse Dec. 30, 1916 1,603,086 McKee Oct. 12, 1926 1,607,623 Higgins Nov. 23, 1926 1,801,313 Kiefer Apr. 21, 1931 2,054,454 Thies et a1 Sept. 15, 1936 2,231,247 Bleakley Feb. 11, 1941 2,390,217 Krieger Dec. 4, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 234,969 Great Britain June 11, 1925 

1. A THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL HAVING THE APPEARANCE AND SOME OF THE PROPERTIES OF METAL, CONSISTING OF 90 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF CELLULOSE ACETATE BUTYRATE HAVING DISPERSED THEREIN 10 PER CENT BY WEIGHT OF FINELY DIVIDED METALLIC POWDER. 